Many people who visit the southern tip of Africa only go to Cape Town or private game lodges in South Africa or Botswana or head to Victoria Falls. However, if you explore further afield you'll find that Southern Africa has everything to offer, from desolate desert landscapes to lush woodlands. There are tiny little villages where time seems to have stood still but there are also bustling cities. What keeps people from exploring the region is often the lack of reliable public transport, but if you rent a car, you can see and experience Southern Africa at your own pace.
A great place to start your trip is South Africa's Cape Town. It's the capital of the Western Cape province. Within about an hour's drive from the city you'll find the country's main wine region amid dramatic mountains. The road northwards along the West Coast to Namibia is well worth taking too. However, you may want to head eastwards instead. If you take the inland route you'll drive through an area known as the Little Karoo. The coastal road is called the Garden Route and rewards you with great beaches, spectacular scenery and forests.
South Africa's eastern coast is a stunning area to explore too. The Wild Coast is dotted with little Xhosa villages and it's not unheard of to share the beach with herds of cattle. Further north you'll find the holiday towns of the KwaZulu-Natal province and the modern city of Durban with its Indian flavor. There's some great surfing to be had here and in the far north of the province there's also excellent diving.
If mountains are more your thing, turn inland from Durban and drive towards the Drakensberg, the largest mountain range in Southern Africa. Explore the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Then continue on towards the Free State province of South Africa, where the sandstone mountains soon make way for cornfield-covered plains.
Johannesburg is about 4 hours north of Bloemfontein, the Free State capital. It's one of Africa's largest cities and home to its busiest airport. The South African capital Pretoria is close by and from these two cities, you can do wonderful road trips eastwards to the subtropical Lowveld region with the Kruger National Park as well as to Swaziland and Mozambique.
Another option is to drive northwards through the area known as the Bushveld with its many game farms. At Musina, South Africa's northernmost town, cross the border into Zimbabwe and then drive via pleasant Bulawayo and the Hwange National Park to the spectacular Victoria Falls. Visit Lake Kariba, then head into Zambia.
Once you've explored Zambia, head south to Botswana. Soon after you've entered this country you'll reach the Okavango Delta and plenty of game reserves. This part of Botswana is a popular safari destination. Further south the landscape turns into the dry Kalahari. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a good point to cross over into Namibia with its desert landscapes, or back into South Africa.
Roads in the region vary in quality but in general you won't need an off-road vehicle. Distances can be large and it's easy to become fatigued if you don't take regular breaks. This is especially important if you're not used to driving on the left. Luckily finding a car for rent is easy, with major companies having branches in all the region's cities.
A great place to start your trip is South Africa's Cape Town. It's the capital of the Western Cape province. Within about an hour's drive from the city you'll find the country's main wine region amid dramatic mountains. The road northwards along the West Coast to Namibia is well worth taking too. However, you may want to head eastwards instead. If you take the inland route you'll drive through an area known as the Little Karoo. The coastal road is called the Garden Route and rewards you with great beaches, spectacular scenery and forests.
South Africa's eastern coast is a stunning area to explore too. The Wild Coast is dotted with little Xhosa villages and it's not unheard of to share the beach with herds of cattle. Further north you'll find the holiday towns of the KwaZulu-Natal province and the modern city of Durban with its Indian flavor. There's some great surfing to be had here and in the far north of the province there's also excellent diving.
If mountains are more your thing, turn inland from Durban and drive towards the Drakensberg, the largest mountain range in Southern Africa. Explore the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Then continue on towards the Free State province of South Africa, where the sandstone mountains soon make way for cornfield-covered plains.
Johannesburg is about 4 hours north of Bloemfontein, the Free State capital. It's one of Africa's largest cities and home to its busiest airport. The South African capital Pretoria is close by and from these two cities, you can do wonderful road trips eastwards to the subtropical Lowveld region with the Kruger National Park as well as to Swaziland and Mozambique.
Another option is to drive northwards through the area known as the Bushveld with its many game farms. At Musina, South Africa's northernmost town, cross the border into Zimbabwe and then drive via pleasant Bulawayo and the Hwange National Park to the spectacular Victoria Falls. Visit Lake Kariba, then head into Zambia.
Once you've explored Zambia, head south to Botswana. Soon after you've entered this country you'll reach the Okavango Delta and plenty of game reserves. This part of Botswana is a popular safari destination. Further south the landscape turns into the dry Kalahari. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a good point to cross over into Namibia with its desert landscapes, or back into South Africa.
Roads in the region vary in quality but in general you won't need an off-road vehicle. Distances can be large and it's easy to become fatigued if you don't take regular breaks. This is especially important if you're not used to driving on the left. Luckily finding a car for rent is easy, with major companies having branches in all the region's cities.
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